KR20220075266A - Computerized systems and methods for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics is provided. One method involves modifying the database to determine a new price for the returned product based on the condition of the product and the age of the product and assign the new price to the product identifier. Based on the determination that the product is not a returned product from the customer: calculate the inventory percentage associated with the product, determine a new price for the product based on the calculated inventory percentage, and, in the product identifier, provide the inventory percentage and the new price This involves modifying the database to allocate.

Description

Computerized systems and methods for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics

The present disclosure relates generally to computerized systems and methods for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to novel and non-traditional systems and methods capable of automatically calculating and applying discounts on product prices by automatically identifying the relationship between the age of the product and the condition or inventory percentage of the product. .

The sale of returned products can be as important to many organizations as the sale of new products. If a product is listed at a price that does not match the actual value of the product, it may be difficult or impossible to sell the product. Return processing is costly to organizations in two ways. A first type of cost relates to shipping and handling costs. The process of canceling an online order involves several steps, including shipping costs as well as many touch operations to move returned items back to inventory stored in the fulfillment center, along with their labor costs. It is inevitable that these costs will reduce profits. The second type of cost is more difficult to quantify, but the longer the returned item goes out of circulation and unsellable, the lower its value and the loss to the retailer. This second type of cost can also be applied to new products that have not been sold.

A conventional inventory management system transmits returned items without defects from a return center storing returned items to a fulfillment center for resale at an original price. For example, such conventional computerized systems may assign prices to returned products or products that have been stored in fulfillment centers for a long time, relying solely on the original price or any discount. These computerized systems do not set new prices consistent with the true value of the product.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method and system for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics.

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system for managing inventory by determining product pricing based on product characteristics. The system may include a memory for storing instructions and at least one processor configured to perform the instructions. The instructions scan the indication of the product via the user device associated with the fulfillment center; send, via the user device, a request to assign a product price for the product, the request including a product identifier associated with the product; retrieving the original price of the product in the database based on the product identifier and identifying the original price of the product; retrieve the original price of the product from the database; and determining, based on the product identifier, whether the product is a product returned from the customer. based on the determination that the product is a returned product from the customer: modify the database to assign a product identifier a determination that the product is a returned product; determine the condition of the product; determine the age of the product; modify the database to assign to the product identifier the status of the product and the age of the product; determine a new price for the product based on the condition of the product and the age of the product, the new price being a discount of the original price; and modifying the database to assign a new price to the product identifier. based on the determination that the product is not a returned product from the customer: modify the database to assign a determination that the product is not a returned product to the product identifier; calculate an inventory percentage associated with the product; based on the calculated inventory percentage, determine a new price for the product, the new price being a discount of the original price; and modifying the database to assign the product identifiers, inventory percentages, and new prices. The instructions further include sending a request to the user device to list the product for sale at the new price.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics. The method includes: scanning an indication of a product via a user device associated with a fulfillment center; send, via the user device, a request to assign a product price for the product, the request including a product identifier associated with the product; retrieving the original price of the product in the database based on the product identifier and identifying the original price of the product; retrieve the original price of the product from the database; and determining, based on the product identifier, whether the product is a product returned from the customer. based on the determination that the product is a returned product from the customer: modify the database to assign a product identifier a determination that the product is a returned product; determine the condition of the product; determine the age of the product; modify the database to assign to the product identifier the status of the product and the age of the product; determine a new price for the product based on the condition of the product and the age of the product, the new price being a discount of the original price; and modifying the database to assign a new price to the product identifier. based on the determination that the product is not a returned product from the customer: modify the database to assign a determination that the product is not a returned product to the product identifier; calculate an inventory percentage associated with the product; based on the calculated inventory percentage, determine a new price for the product, the new price being a discount of the original price; and modifying the database to assign the product identifiers, inventory percentages, and new prices. The method may further include sending a request to the user device to list the product for sale at the new price.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics. It may include a memory for storing instructions and at least one processor configured to perform the instructions. The instructions scan the indication of the product via the user device associated with the fulfillment center; send, via the user device, a request to assign a product price for the product, the request including a product identifier associated with the product; retrieving the original price of the product in the database based on the product identifier and identifying the original price of the product; retrieve the original price of the product from the database; based on the product identifier, determining whether the product is a product returned from the customer. based on the determination that the product is a returned product from the customer: modify the database to assign a product identifier a determination that the product is a returned product; sending a pickup request to a user device associated with the inventory worker to pick up the returned product at the return center and ship the returned product to the fulfillment center; determine the condition of the product; modify the database to assign to the product identifier the status of the product and the age of the product; determine a new price for the product based on the condition of the product and the age of the product, the new price being a discount of the original price; and modifying the database to assign a new price to the product identifier. based on the determination that the product is not a returned product from the customer: modify the database to assign a determination that the product is not a returned product to the product identifier; calculate an inventory percentage associated with the product; based on the calculated inventory percentage, determine a new price for the product, the new price being a discount of the original price; and modifying the database to assign the product identifiers, inventory percentages, and new prices. The instructions further include sending a request to the user device to list the product for sale at the new price.

Other systems, methods, and computer-readable media are also discussed herein.

1A is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a network including a computerized system for communications to enable delivery, transportation, and logistical operations, in accordance with disclosed embodiments.
1B illustrates a sample of a Search Result Page (SRP) that includes one or more search results satisfying a search request along with interactive user interface elements, in accordance with disclosed embodiments.
1C illustrates a sample Single Display Page (SDP) comprising a product and information about the product along with interactive user interface elements, in accordance with disclosed embodiments.
1D illustrates a sample shopping cart page including items placed in a virtual shopping cart along with interactive user interface elements, in accordance with disclosed embodiments.
1E illustrates a sample order page including items from a virtual shopping cart along with information regarding purchases and shipping along with interactive user interface elements, in accordance with disclosed embodiments;
2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary fulfillment center configured to utilize the disclosed computerized system, in accordance with disclosed embodiments.
3 illustrates an example network of devices and systems for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics, in accordance with disclosed embodiments.
4 illustrates an example multidimensional data structure that can access a relationship between a product's status and a product's age, in accordance with disclosed embodiments.
5 illustrates an example multidimensional data structure that can access a relationship between a product's inventory percentage and a product's age, in accordance with disclosed embodiments.
6 illustrates a process for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics, in accordance with disclosed embodiments.

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description below to refer to the same or like parts. Although several exemplary embodiments are described herein, variations, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or variations may be made to the components and steps shown in the drawings, and the exemplary methods described herein may be substituted, reordered, or eliminated with respect to the disclosed methods. Or it can be modified by adding. Accordingly, the detailed description below is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and examples. Instead, the suitable scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods configured to manage inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics. The disclosed embodiments may determine whether a product is a product returned from a customer. Based on the determination that the product is a returned product from the customer, the pricing system may modify the database to assign a product identifier a determination that the product is a returned product.

The pricing system may determine the status of the product based on the product identifier. The condition can be either repackaged, damaged package, refurbished, used best, used good or used normal. The pricing system may modify the database to assign the product identifier, the status of the product, and the age of the product. In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the condition of the product and the age of the product. The pricing system may access the data structure according to the product identifier, and determine a new price for the product based on the optimal discount calculated by the data structure. The pricing system may modify the database to assign a new price to the product identifier and send a request to the user device to list the product for sale at the new price. In some embodiments, the pricing system may automatically send a notification to the web server to list products for sale at the new price.

Based on the determination that the product is not a returned product from the customer, the pricing system may modify the database to assign a determination that the product is not a returned product to the product identifier. In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an inventory percentage associated with a product by dividing the quantity of available inventory by the average daily sales volume. In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the product's inventory percentage and the product's age. The pricing system may access the data structure according to the product identifier, and determine a new price for the product based on the optimal discount calculated by the data structure. The pricing system may modify the database to assign a product identifier, an inventory percentage and a new price, and send a request to the user device to list the product for sale at the new price. In some embodiments, the pricing system may automatically send a notification to the web server to list products for sale at the new price.

1A , shown is a schematic block diagram 100 illustrating an embodiment of an exemplary system that includes a computer system for communications that facilitates shipping, transportation, and logistical operations. As shown in FIG. 1A , system 100 may include a variety of systems, each of which may be connected to one another via one or more networks. The systems may also be connected to each other via direct connections (eg, using cables). The illustrated system is a shipping authority technology (SAT) system 101 , an external front end system 103 , an internal front end system 105 , a transportation system 107 , and mobile devices 107A, 107B, 107C. , merchant portal 109, shipping and order tracking (SOT) system 111, fulfillment optimization (FO) system 113, fulfillment messaging gateway (FMG) ( 115), supply chain management (SCM) system 117, warehouse management system 119, mobile devices 119A, 119B, 119C (fulfillment center, FC 200) shown), a third party fulfillment system 121A, 121B, 121C, a fulfillment center authorization system (FC Auth) 123, and a labor management system (LMS) 125 ) is included.

In some embodiments, the SAT system 101 may be implemented as a computer system that monitors order status and delivery status. For example, the SAT system 101 may determine if an order has passed a Promised Delivery Date (PDD), initiate a new order, reship items in an undelivered order, and You can take appropriate action, including canceling an order that has not been placed, and starting contact with the ordering customer. The SAT system 101 may also monitor other data including outputs (such as the number of packages shipped over a specified period of time), and inputs (such as the number of empty cardboard boxes received for use in shipping). . SAT system 101 also enables communication (eg, using store-and-forward or other techniques) between devices such as external front end system 103 and FO system 113 . It can act as a gateway between different devices in the system 100 to

In some embodiments, external front end system 103 may be implemented as a computer system that enables external users to interact with one or more systems within system 100 . For example, in an embodiment where system 100 enables presentation of the system to allow a user to place an order for an item, external front end system 103 receives a search request, presents a page of items, , it can be implemented as a web server that requests payment information. For example, the external front end system 103 may be implemented as a computer or computers running software such as Apache HTTP Server, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), NGINX, and the like. In another embodiment, external front end system 103 receives and processes requests from external devices (eg, mobile device 102A or computer 102B), and based on these requests, databases and other data storage devices. It can obtain information from and provide a response to a received request based on the obtained information (running a custom web server software designed for it).

In some embodiments, the external front end system 103 may include one or more of a web caching system, a database, a search system, or a payment system. In one aspect, the external front-end system 103 may include one or more of these systems, while in another aspect the external front-end system 103 is an interface (eg, server to server) coupled to one or more of these systems. server, database-to-database, or other network connection).

An exemplary set of steps represented by FIGS. 1B , 1C , 1D and 1E will help explain some operation of the external front end system 103 . External front end system 103 may receive information from a system or device within system 100 for presentation and/or display. For example, the external front end system 103 may include a Search Result Page (SRP) (eg, FIG. 1B), a Single Detail Page (SDP) (eg, FIG. 1C), It may host or provide one or more webpages including a Cart page (eg, FIG. 1D ), or an order page (eg, FIG. 1E ). (eg, mobile device 102A ) or using the computer 102B) can request a search by going to the external front end system 103 and entering information in a search box. External front end system 103 may request information from one or more systems within system 100 . For example, the external front-end system 103 may request information satisfying the search request from the FO system 113 . The external front end system 103 may also request and receive (from the FO system 113) a Promised Delivery Date or “PDD” for each product included in the search results. In some embodiments, the PDD may provide an estimate of when the product will arrive at the user's desired location if the package containing the product is ordered within a certain time period, eg, by the end of the day (11:59 PM), or if the product is desired by the user. It may indicate an promised date for delivery to the location (PDD is discussed further below with respect to FO system 113).

The external front end system 103 may prepare an SRP (eg, FIG. 1B ) based on the information. The SRP may include information that satisfies the search request. For example, it may include photos of products that satisfy the search request. The SRP may also include information about each price for each product, or improved delivery options for each product, PDD, weight, size, offer, discount, and the like. The external front end system 103 may send the SRP to the requesting user device (eg, over a network).

The user device may select a product from the SRP, for example, by clicking or tapping the user interface, or using another input device to select a product presented in the SRP. The user device may make a request for information about the selected product and send it to the external front end system 103 . In response, the external front end system 103 may request information regarding the selected product. For example, the information may include additional information beyond what is presented for the product on each SRP. This may include, for example, expiration date, country of origin, weight, size, number of items in the package, handling instructions, or other information about the product. The information may also include recommendations for similar products (based on big data and/or machine learning analysis of customers who have purchased this product and at least one other product, for example), answers to frequently asked questions, customer reviews; May include manufacturer information, photos, and the like.

The external front-end system 103 may prepare a Single Detail Page (SDP) (eg, FIG. 1C ) based on the received product information. The SDP may also include other interactive elements such as a “Buy Now” button, an “Add to Cart” button, a quantity field, a picture of an item, and the like. The SDP may include a list of sellers offering products. This list may be ordered based on the price offered by each seller so that sellers who offer to sell products at the lowest price are placed at the top of the list. This list may also be ordered based on seller rankings, with the highest ranked sellers being placed at the top of the list. The seller ranking may be built based on a plurality of factors including, for example, the seller's historical tracking of whether the promised PDD was kept. The external front end system 103 may forward the SDP to the requesting user device (eg, via a network).

The requesting user device may receive an SDP listing product information. Upon receiving the SDP, the user device may interact with the SDP. For example, the user of the requesting user device may click or interact with the "Place in Cart" button of the SDP. This will add the product to the shopping cart associated with the user. The user device may send this request to the external front end system 103 to add the product to the shopping cart.

The external front end system 103 may create a shopping cart page (eg, FIG. 1D ). In some embodiments, the shopping cart page lists products that the user has added to a virtual "shopping cart." A user device may request a shopping cart page by clicking or interacting with an icon of an SRP, SDP, or other page. In some embodiments, the shopping cart page provides information about all products the user has added to the shopping cart, as well as the quantity of each product, the price per item of each product, the price of each product based on the relevant quantity, information about the PDD, delivery method, shipping cost, User interface elements for modifying products in the shopping cart (eg, deleting or modifying quantities), options for ordering other products or setting up regular delivery of products, options for setting up interest payments, making purchases You can list information about the products in the shopping cart, such as user interface elements to proceed. A user of the user device may click or interact with a user interface element (eg, a button labeled "Buy Now") to initiate a purchase of a product in the shopping cart. In doing so, the user device may send this request to the external front end system 103 to initiate a purchase.

The external front end system 103 may generate an order page (eg, FIG. 1E ) in response to receiving a request to initiate a purchase. In some embodiments, the order page re-lists items from the shopping cart and requests entry of payment and shipping information. For example, the order page may contain information about the purchaser of the items in the shopping cart (eg name, address, email address, phone number), information about the recipient (eg name, address, phone number, delivery information). , shipping information (eg, delivery and/or pickup speed/method), payment information (eg, credit card, bank transfer, check, stored credit), user interface element requesting a cash receipt (eg, for tax purposes), etc. The external front end system 103 may send the order page to the user device.

The user device may enter information on the order page and click or interact with a user interface element that sends the information to the external front end system 103 . From there, the external front end system 103 sends information to other systems within the system 100 so that it can create and process new orders with products in the shopping cart.

In some embodiments, the external front end system 103 may be further configured to enable merchants to send and receive information related to orders.

In some embodiments, internal front end system 105 enables internal users (eg, employees of an organization that owns, operates, or leases system 100 ) to interact with one or more systems within system 100 . It may be implemented as a computer system. For example, in an embodiment where the system 100 enables presentation of a system that allows a user to place an order for an item, the internal front end system 105 may provide an internal user with diagnostic and statistical information about an order. It can be implemented as a web server that allows viewing, editing item information, or reviewing statistics for orders. For example, the internal front end system 105 may be implemented as a computer or computers running software such as Apache HTTP Server, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), NGINX, and the like. In another embodiment, the internal front end system 105 (as well as other devices not shown) receives and processes requests from systems or devices represented within the system 100, and based on such requests, databases and other data storage devices. It can obtain information from and provide a response to a received request based on the obtained information (run a custom web server software designed for that).

In some embodiments, the internal front end system 105 may include one or more of a web caching system, a database, a search system, a payment system, an analytics system, an order monitoring system, and the like. In one aspect, the internal front-end system 105 may include one or more of these systems, while in another aspect the internal front-end system 105 is an interface (eg, server-to-server) coupled to one or more of these systems. server, database-to-database, or other network connection).

In some embodiments, transportation system 107 may be implemented as a computer system that enables communication between a system or device within system 100 and mobile devices 107A-107C. In some embodiments, transportation system 107 may receive information from one or more mobile devices 107A- 107C (eg, cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, etc.). For example, in some embodiments, mobile devices 107A- 107C may comprise devices operated by a delivery person. Delivery men, who may be full-time, temporary, or shift workers, may use mobile devices 107A-107C for delivery of packages containing products ordered by the user. For example, to deliver a package, the delivery man may receive a notification on the mobile device indicating the package to deliver and the location to deliver. Upon arrival at the delivery location, the delivery person can place the package (eg, in the back of a truck or on the crate of the package) and use the mobile device to store data associated with the identifier on the package (eg, barcode, image, text string, RFID tags, etc.) may be scanned or captured, and the package may be delivered (eg, by putting it on the front door, leaving it with a security guard, passing it on to a recipient, etc.). In some embodiments, the delivery man may use a mobile device to take a photo(s) of the package and/or to obtain a signature. The mobile device may transmit information including information about the delivery to the transportation system 107 including, for example, time, date, GPS location, photo(s), an identifier related to the delivery person, an identifier related to the mobile device, and the like. can Transportation system 107 may store this information in a database (not shown) for access by other systems in system 100 . In some embodiments, the transportation system 107 may use this information to prepare and transmit tracking data indicating the location of a particular package to another system.

In some embodiments, a particular user may use one type of mobile device (eg, a full-time employee may use a professional PDA with custom hardware such as a barcode scanner, stylus, and other devices), while another user may use other types of mobile devices (eg, temporary or shift workers may use off-the-shelf cell phones and/or smartphones).

In some embodiments, transportation system 107 may associate a user with each device. For example, transportation system 107 may include a user (eg, represented by a user identifier, employee identifier, or phone number) and a mobile device (eg, International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), International Mobile Subscription Identifier ( IMSI), a phone number, a Universal Unique Identifier (UUID), or a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID)). Transportation system 107 may use these associations in connection with data received upon delivery to analyze data stored in a database to determine the location of the operator, the effectiveness of the operator, or the speed of the operator, among others.

In some embodiments, merchant portal 109 may be implemented as a computer system that enables merchants or other external entities to communicate electronically with one or more systems within system 100 . For example, the seller may use the seller portal 109 to use a computer system (not shown) to upload or provide product information, order information, contact information, etc. have.

In some embodiments, shipping and order tracking system 111 receives, stores, and receives information regarding the location of packages containing products ordered by customers (eg, users using devices 102A- 102B). It can be implemented as a forwarding computer system. In some embodiments, shipping and order tracking system 111 may request or store information from a web server (not shown) operated by a shipping company that delivers packages containing products ordered by customers.

In some embodiments, shipping and order tracking system 111 may request and store information from the systems represented in system 100 . For example, the shipping and order tracking system 111 may request information from the shipping system 107 . As described above, the transportation system 107 may include one or more mobile devices 107A-107C (eg, a cell phone) associated with one or more of a user (eg, a delivery man) or a vehicle (eg, a delivery truck). , smart phone, PDA, etc.). In some embodiments, the shipping and order tracking system 111 also receives information from a warehouse management system (WMS) to determine the location of individual products within a fulfillment center (eg, fulfillment center 200 ). you can request Shipping and order tracking system 111 requests data from one or more of shipping system 107 or WMS 119, processes it, and provides it to devices (eg, user devices 102A, 102B) upon request. can do.

In some embodiments, the fulfillment optimization (FO) system 113 receives information about customer orders from other systems (eg, external front end system 103 and/or shipping and order tracking system 111 ). It can be implemented as a computer system that stores. The FO system 113 may also store information indicating where a particular item is maintained or stored. For example, certain items may be stored in only one fulfillment center, while certain other items may be stored in multiple fulfillment centers. In another embodiment, a specific fulfillment center may be configured to store only a specific set of items (eg, fresh produce or frozen products). The FO system 113 stores this information as well as related information (eg, quantity, size, date of receipt, expiration date, etc.).

The FO system 113 may also calculate a corresponding PDD (Promised Delivery Date) for each product. In some embodiments, PDD may be based on one or more factors. For example, the FO system 113 may include historical demand for the product (eg, how many orders for that product have been ordered over a period of time), the expected demand for the product (eg, how many customers will purchase the product over an upcoming period). expected to be ordered), past demand across the network, indicating how many products have been ordered over a period of time, projected demand across the network, indicating how many products are expected to be ordered over the coming period, and each store each product is stored in. The PDD for a product may be calculated based on the number of one or more products stored in the fulfillment center 200 , an expectation for the product, or a current order, and the like.

In some embodiments, the FO system 113 periodically (eg, hourly) determines and retrieves the PDD for each product or other system (eg, the external front end system 103 , the SAT system (eg, 101), and may store it in a database for transmission to the shipping and order tracking system 111). In another embodiment, the FO system 113 receives electronic requests from one or more systems (eg, external front end system 103 , SAT system 101 , shipping and order tracking system 111 ) and responds to the request. PDD can be calculated accordingly.

In some embodiments, fulfillment messaging gateway (FMG) 115 receives a request or response in one format or protocol from one or more systems within system 100 , such as FO system 113 , and converts it into another format or protocol. to another system, such as WMS 119 or a third-party fulfillment system 121A, 121B, or 121C, to forward the request or response in the converted format or protocol, and vice versa. can be implemented.

In some embodiments, supply chain management (SCM) system 117 may be implemented as a computer system that performs a predictive function. For example, the SCM system 117 may include, for example, past demand for a product, a projected demand for a product, a network-wide past demand, an overall network-wide expected demand, and a number of products stored in each fulfillment center 200 . It is possible to predict the level of demand for a particular product based on the number, expected or current orders for each product, and the like. In response to these predicted levels and the quantity of each product through all of the fulfillment centers, the SCM system 117 generates one or more purchase orders to purchase and stock up sufficient quantities to satisfy the predicted demand for the particular product. can do.

In some embodiments, warehouse management system (WMS) 119 may be implemented as a computer system that monitors the workflow. For example, WMS 119 may receive event data representing an individual event from an individual device (eg, devices 107A-107C or 119A-119C). For example, WMS 119 may receive event data indicating that it used one of these devices to scan the package. As discussed below with respect to the fulfillment center 200 and FIG. 2 , during the fulfillment process, a package identifier (eg, barcode or RFID tag data) is stored in a particular stage of a machine (eg, automatic or handheld). barcode scanner, RFID reader, high-speed camera, tablet 119A, mobile device/PDA 119B, device such as computer 119C, etc.). WMS 119 may store each event representing a scan or read of a package identifier in a corresponding database (not shown) along with package identifier, time, date, location, user identifier, or other information, and store this information in other systems. (eg, shipping and order tracking system 111 ).

In some embodiments, WMS 119 may store information associating one or more devices (eg, devices 107A-107C or 119A-119C) with one or more users associated with system 100 . For example, in some circumstances, a user (such as a part-time or full-time employee) may be associated with a mobile device in that it owns the mobile device (eg, the mobile device is a smartphone). In other situations, in that the user temporarily stores the mobile device (eg, a user who borrows a mobile device from the beginning of the day will use it during the day and return it at the end of the day), can be related

In some embodiments, WMS 119 may maintain an activity log for each user associated with system 100 . For example, the WMS 119 may include any assigned process (eg, unloading from a truck, picking up an item at a pickup area, living wall work, packing an item), a user identifier, a location (eg, a full fill floor or area of management center 200), number of units moved through the system by staff (eg, number of items picked up, number of packed items), device (eg, device 119A- 119C))) and may store information associated with each employee, including identifiers associated with them. In some embodiments, WMS 119 may receive check-in and check-out information from a timekeeping system, such as a timekeeping system running on devices 119A- 119C.

In some embodiments, third-party fulfillment (3PL) systems 121A-121C represent computer systems associated with logistics and third-party providers of products. For example, some products may be stored in the fulfillment center 200 (as described below with respect to FIG. 2 ), while others may be stored off-site or on demand. It can be produced according to, and cannot otherwise be stored in the fulfillment center 200 . The 3PL systems 121A-121C may be configured to receive orders from the FO system 113 (eg, via the FMG 115 ) and directly to the customer for products and/or services (eg, delivery or installation) can be provided. In some implementations, one or more 3PL systems 121A-121C may be part of system 100 , while in other implementations, one or more 3PL systems 121A-121C may be external to system 100 ( For example, owned or operated by a third party provider).

In some embodiments, the fulfillment center authentication system (FC Auth) 123 may be implemented as a computer system having various functions. For example, in some embodiments, FC Auth 123 may operate as a single-sign on (SSO) service for one or more other systems within system 100 . For example, FC Auth 123 allows the user to log in through the internal front end system 105 and determines that the user has similar permissions to access resources in the shipping and order tracking system 111 , Allows users to access those privileges without requiring a second login process. In another embodiment, FC Auth 123 allows a user (eg, an employee) to associate themselves with a particular task. For example, some employees may not have electronic devices (such as devices 119A- 119C) and may instead move between jobs and between zones within fulfillment center 200 during the day. FC Auth 123 can be configured to indicate the work these employees are performing at different times and the zone they belong to.

In some embodiments, labor management system (LMS) 125 may be implemented as a computer system that stores attendance and overtime information for employees (including full-time and part-time employees). For example, LMS 125 may receive information from FC Auth 123 , WMS 119 , devices 119A- 119C , transportation system 107 , and/or devices 107A- 107C.

The specific configuration shown in FIG. 1A is merely an example. For example, while FIG. 1A shows an FC Auth system 123 coupled to an FO system 113 , not all embodiments require this specific configuration. Indeed, in some embodiments, the systems within system 100 are Internet, intranet, Wide-Area Network (WAN), Metropolitan-Area Network (MAN), wireless network conforming to IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standard, lease They may be connected to each other through one or more public or private networks including lines and the like. In some embodiments, one or more of the systems in system 100 may be implemented as one or more virtual servers implemented in a data center, server farm, or the like.

2 shows a fulfillment center 200 . The fulfillment center 200 is an example of a physical place that stores items for delivery to customers upon ordering. The fulfillment center (FC) 200 may be divided into a number of zones, each of which is illustrated in FIG. 2 . In some embodiments, these “zones” can be thought of as virtual divisions between the different stages of the process of receiving items, storing items, retrieving items, and shipping items. Thus, although “zones” are shown in FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, other divisions of zones are possible, and zones in FIG. 2 may be omitted, duplicated, or modified.

Inbound zone 203 represents the area of FC 200 where items are received from vendors wishing to sell products using system 100 of FIG. 1A . For example, the seller may use the truck 201 to deliver the items 202A, 202B. Item 202A may represent a single item large enough to occupy its shipping pallet, and item 202B may represent a set of items stacked together on the same pallet to save space.

An operator may receive the item in the inbound area 203 and optionally use a computer system (not shown) to check if the item is damaged and correct. For example, an operator may use the computer system to compare the quantity of items 202A, 202B to the ordered quantity of the item. If the quantities do not match, the worker may reject one or more of the items 202A, 202B. If the quantities match, an operator may transport the items (eg, dolly, handtruck, forklift, or manually) to buffer area 205 . Buffer zone 205 may be, for example, a temporary storage area for items that are not currently needed in the pickup zone, for example, because there are sufficient quantities of those items in the pickup zone to meet expected demand. In some embodiments, forklift 206 operates to transport items around buffer zone 205 and between inbound zone 203 and drop zone 207. Pickup zone (eg, due to anticipated demand) If item 202A, 202B is needed, the forklift may transport item 202A, 202B to drop zone 207 .

Drop zone 207 may be an area of FC 200 that stores items prior to being transported to pickup zone 209 . An operator assigned to a pickup operation (“picker”) accesses items 202A, 202B in the pickup area, scans a barcode for the pickup area, and holds a mobile device (eg, device 119B) can be used to scan barcodes associated with items 202A, 202B. The picker may then take the item to the pickup area 209 (eg, by placing or transporting it on a cart).

The pickup zone 209 may be an area of the FC 200 where the items 208 are stored in the storage unit 210 . In some embodiments, the storage unit 210 may include one or more of a physical shelf, a bookshelf, a box, a tote, a refrigerator, a freezer, a cold store, and the like. In some embodiments, pickup area 209 may be organized into multiple floors. In some embodiments, an operator or machine picks up an item from the pickup area 209 in a variety of ways, including, for example, by a forklift, elevator, conveyor belt, cart, hand truck, cart, automated robot or device, or manual operation. can be transported to For example, the picker may place the items 202A, 202B on a hand truck or cart in the drop zone 207 , and may take the items 202A, 202B to the pickup zone 209 .

The picker may receive a command to place (or “stow”) the item at a specific spot in the pickup area 209 , such as a specific space on the storage unit 210 . For example, the picker may scan the item 202A using a mobile device (eg, device 119B). The device may indicate where the item 202A should be loaded, using, for example, aisles, shelves, and systems that indicate locations. The device may then cause the picker to scan the barcode at that location before loading the item 202A at that location. The device may send data (eg, over a wireless network) indicating that the item 202A has been loaded into its location by a user using the device 119B to a computer system, such as WMS 119 of FIG. 1A . .

Once the user places an order, the picker may receive instructions from the device 119B to retrieve one or more items 208 from the storage unit 210 . The picker may retrieve the item 208 , scan a barcode on the item 208 , and place it on the transport vehicle 214 . In some embodiments, the transport mechanism 214 is represented as a slide, however, the transport mechanism may be implemented as one or more of a conveyor belt, elevator, cart, forklift, hand truck, trolley, cart, and the like. Item 208 may then arrive at packing area 211 .

Packing zone 211 may be an area of FC 200 where items are received from pickup zone 209 and packed into boxes or bags for final delivery to a customer. At packing area 211 , a worker assigned to receive the item (“rebin worker”) will receive item 208 from pickup area 209 and determine which order it corresponds to. For example, a rebining operator may use a device such as computer 119C to scan a barcode on item 208 . Computer 119C may visually indicate which spell the item 208 is associated with. This may include, for example, a space or “cell” on the wall 216 that corresponds to the order (eg, since the cell contains all the items in the order). When done, the rebining operator can notify the packing operator (or "packer") that the order is complete. The packer can retrieve items from the cell and place them in boxes or bags for shipping. The packer may then send the box or bag to the hub area 213 via, for example, a forklift, cart, cart, hand truck, conveyor belt, hand or other method.

Hub zone 213 may be an area of FC 200 that receives all boxes or bags (“packages”) from packing zone 211 . Workers and/or machines in the hub area 213 may retrieve the packages 218 , determine to which part of the delivery area each package is intended for delivery, and direct the packages to the appropriate camp area 215 . For example, if the delivery area has two small sub-areas, the package will be sent to one of the two camp areas 215 . In some embodiments, an operator or machine may scan the package (eg, using one of devices 119A- 119C) to determine its final destination. Sending the package to the camp area 215 may include, for example, determining (based on the zip code) the portion of the geographic area to which the package is heading, and determining the camp area 215 associated with the portion of the geographic area. can

In some embodiments, camp area 215 may include one or more buildings, one or more physical spaces, or one or more areas where packages are received from hub area 213 for classification into routes and/or sub-routes. . In some embodiments, camp area 215 is physically separate from FC 200 , while in other embodiments camp area 215 may form part of FC 200 .

Operators and/or machines in camp area 215 may, for example, compare destinations with existing routes and/or sub-routes, calculate workload for each route and/or sub-routes, time of day, delivery It may be determined which route and/or sub-route the package 220 should be associated with based on the method, the cost to ship the package 220 , the PDD associated with the item in the package 220 , and the like. In some embodiments, an operator or machine may scan the package (eg, using one of devices 119A- 119C) to determine its final destination. Once the packages 220 are assigned to a particular route and/or sub-route, workers and/or machines can transport the packages 220 to be shipped. In exemplary FIG. 2 , camp area 215 includes truck 222 , automobile 226 , and delivery men 224A, 224B. In some embodiments, deliveryman 224A may drive truck 222 , where deliveryman 224A is a full-time employee delivering packages for FC 200 and truck owns FC 200 . , owned, leased, or operated by the same company that leases or operates it. In some embodiments, delivery man 224B may drive automobile 226, where delivery man 224B is a "flex" or emergency worker who delivers as needed (eg, seasonally). to be. Automobile 226 may be owned, leased, or operated by deliveryman 224B.

3 , shown is an exemplary network of devices and systems for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics. As shown in FIG. 3 , system 300 may include a pricing system 330 that may communicate with a user device 320 associated with user 320A via network 310 . In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may communicate with other components of system 300 via a direct connection using, for example, a cable. In some other embodiments, system 300 may be part of system 100 of FIG. 1A , via network 310 , or via a direct connection using, for example, a cable, of system 100 . It can communicate with other components. Pricing system 330 may include a single computer, or may each be configured as a distributed computer system including multiple computers interoperating to perform one or more processes and functions associated with the disclosed examples.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the pricing system 330 may include a processor 332 , a memory 334 , and a database 336 . The processor 332 may be one or more known processing devices, such as a microprocessor in the Pentium ^TM family manufactured by Intel ^TM or the Turion ^TM family manufactured by AMD ^TM . The processor 332 may constitute a single-core or multi-core processor that simultaneously performs parallel processes. For example, the processor 332 may use a logical processor to concurrently perform and control multiple processes. Processor 332 may implement virtual machine technology or other known technology to provide the ability to execute, control, execute, manipulate, store, and the like, multiple software processes, applications, programs, and the like. In another example, the processor 332 may include a multi-core processor configuration configured to provide parallel processing capabilities such that the pricing system 330 may perform multiple processes concurrently. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other types of processor configurations may be implemented that provide the capabilities disclosed herein.

Memory 334 may store one or more operating systems that perform known operating system functions when performed by processor 332 . For example, an operating system may include Microsoft Windows, Unix, Linux, Android, Mac OS, iOS, or any other type of operating system. Accordingly, examples of the disclosed subject matter may operate and function with computer systems running any type of operating system. Memory 334 may be a volatile or non-volatile, magnetic, semiconductor, tape, optical, removable, non-removable, or other type of storage device or tangible computer-readable medium.

The database 336 may be, for example, Oracle?? Database, Sybase?? database, or any other relational database or Hadoop?? Sequence file, HBase?? or a non-relational database such as Cassandra®. Database 336 is a computing component (eg, a database management system, database server, etc.) configured to receive and process requests for data stored in memory devices of the database(s) and to provide data from the database(s). may include Database 336 is HBase, MongoDB?? Or it could include a NoSQL database like Cassandra?? Alternatively, database 336 may include a relational database such as Oracle, MySQL, and Microsoft SQL Server. In some embodiments, database 336 may take the form of a server, general purpose computer, mainframe computer, or any combination of these components.

Database 336 may store data that may each be used by processor 332 to perform methods and processes associated with the disclosed examples. The database 336 may be located in the pricing system 330 as shown in FIG. 3 , or, alternatively, may reside on an external storage device located external to the pricing system 330 . Data stored in database 336 may include any suitable data associated with the product (eg, age of product, condition of product, percentage of stock, condition at return center, relationship between age of product and condition of product, age of product) and inventory ratios, assignments to product identifiers associated with products, historical data of products, original prices of products, discounts to be applied to products, etc.).

User device 320 may be a tablet, mobile device, computer, or the like. User device 320 may include a display. Displays may include, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diode screens (LEDs), organic light emitting diode screens (OLEDs), touch screens, and other known display devices. The display may show various information to the user. For example, scan an indicia (eg, barcode, image, text string, RFID tag, etc.) of a product (eg, item 202A or item 202B in FIG. 2 ) and assign the product price to the product. Submit a request to assign, submit a selection of a product or product identifier, submit a pickup request to pick up the returned product at the return center and ship the returned product to the FC 200, and submit a product to sell (e.g. For example, it may present a user interface element that includes options such as submitting a request to list (for example, at a new price). In some embodiments, the display may display historical data of the product (eg, previous sales of the product or related products, the previous state of the product and whether it was sold in that state, the price or discount at which the product was sold, and the product and the product for that sale. associated status, the product's previous inventory percentage and whether it was sold at that stock percentage, the price or discount at which the product was sold, and the percentage of inventory associated with the product for that sale), the original price of the product, the discount to be applied to the product, the product's You can display the status, the percentage of the product in stock, the age of the product, the "returned" status of the product, a list of products for sale, and more. User device 320 may include one or more input/output (I/O) devices. I/O devices may include one or more devices that allow user device 320 to send and receive information to and from user 320A or other devices. I/O devices may include various input/output devices, cameras, microphones, keyboards, mouse-type devices, gesture sensors, action sensors, physical buttons, dictation inputs, and the like. The I/O device may also include one or more communication modules (not shown) for sending and receiving information from the pricing system 330 , for example, by establishing a wired or wireless connection between the user device 320 and the network 310 . may include In some embodiments, user device 320 may be devices 119A- 119C of FIG. 1A associated with FC 200 .

In some embodiments, user 320A may be an internal user (eg, an employee of an organization that owns, operates, or leases system 100 or 300 ). The internal front end system 105 may be implemented as a computer system that allows a user 320A to interact with the system 300 . For example, system 100 or 300 may enable presentation of the system so that a user scans an indication of a product, submits a request to assign a product price to a product, submits a selected product or product identifier, or In embodiments that allow a return center to pick up returned products and submit a pickup request to ship the returned product to the FC 200, or to allow submission of a request to list products for sale, an internal front-end system ( 105) allows the user 320A to check the history data of the product, the original price of the product, the discount applied to the product, the condition of the product, the inventory ratio of the product, the age of the product, the "returned" status of the product, a list of sold products, etc. It can be implemented as a web server that makes it visible. In some embodiments, internal front-end system 105 receives and processes requests from systems or devices depicted in system 100 or 300, and based on these requests, a database (eg, database 336) and custom web server software designed to obtain information from other data stores and provide responses to received requests based on the obtained information.

In some embodiments, user device 320 scans an indication (eg, barcode, image, text string, RFID tag, etc.) of a product (eg, item 202A or item 202B of FIG. 2 ). can do. The user device 320 may send a request to the pricing system 330 to assign a product price to the product, where the request includes a product identifier associated with the product. The pricing system 330 may receive the request, and based on the received product identifier, the pricing system 330 may retrieve the original price of the product from the database 336 and identify the original price of the product. . The pricing system 330 may retrieve the original price of the product from the database 336 .

The pricing system 330 may determine whether the product is a product returned from the customer based on the product identifier. For example, a return center may receive a returned product from a customer and evaluate the condition of the product. The returns center may determine that the status of the product is high enough to be resold, and may assign a "returned" status to the product based on that determination. The return center may be part of the system 100 or may be separate from the system 100 . The pricing system 330 may send a request for a status associated with the product identifier to the return center, which may send the status associated with the product identifier to the FC 200 or system 300 .

Based on the determination that the product is a returned product from the customer, the pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign a product identifier a determination that the product is a returned product. The pricing system 330 sends a pickup request to the return center or a user device associated with a user (eg, an inventory worker) associated with the FC 200 to pick up the returned product at the return center and transfer the returned product to the FC ( 200) can be shipped.

The pricing system 330 may determine the status of the product based on the product identifier. For example, a "return" status assigned to a product may include the status of the product. For example, the status of the returned product may be determined at the return center before it is shipped to the FC 200 (eg, by an internal user, by the system of the system 100, etc.). In some embodiments, the condition may be one of Repackaged, Damaged Package, Refurbished, Best Used, Refurbished, or General Used. A repackaged condition may indicate that the quality or performance of the product is the same as that of a new product, or that only the packaging (eg, box) should be replaced. A package damaged condition may indicate that the product is of the same quality or performance as new, or that the packaging is damaged but unopened. Refurbished condition may indicate that the product has been used but has been repaired by the manufacturer or supplier to increase the quality or performance of the product without problems or missing components. Best Used Condition may indicate that the product has been used but is of high quality or performance (eg, like new) without problems or missing elements of construction. Refurbished condition may indicate that the product has been used, but only shows signs of previous product use and that there are no problems with product performance or missing components. The general secondhand condition may indicate that the product has been used and there is a feeling of use of the previous product, but there is no problem with the product's performance.

Pricing system 330 may modify database 336 to assign a product identifier to the product's status and age of the product. The pricing system 330 may determine a new price for the product based on the condition of the product and the age of the product, where the new price is a discount of the original price. Pricing system 330 may determine the age of a product by determining the status of the product and then determining how long the product is in FC 200 . For example, if the product arrives at the FC 200 after the pricing system 330 determines the status of the product on April 1 and today's date is April 11, the age of the product is 10 days. For example, pricing system 330 may consult a product identifier stored in database 336 to identify and access a multidimensional data structure. In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may use different accessor methods based on the type of product (eg, returned, non-returned, etc.). For example, the data structure may provide quick access to a relationship between a product's status and a product's age based on historical data of a product or related products based on a product identifier. Historical data may include previous sales of the product or related products, the previous status of the product, the price or discount at which the product was sold, and the status associated with the product for that sale. In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the condition of the product and the age of the product. The pricing system 330 may access a data structure according to the product identifier and determine a new price for the product based on the optimal discount calculated by the data structure. The optimal discount may be the discount on the product for which the product is most likely to be sold to the customer. In some embodiments, the optimal discount may vary depending on the seasonality of the product or the number of product web page views.

In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may periodically determine the age of unsold products. For example, the pricing system 330 may determine that the age of the product has increased with an increase in time. In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the product's status and the increased age of the product. Based on the increment of the product identifier and the determined time, the pricing system 330 accesses the data structure to determine an optimal discount calculated by the data structure, and increments the discount of the original price of the product based on the calculated optimal discount. can do it For example, the pricing system 330 may determine that the age of the best thrift product has increased from 210 days to 240 days. Pricing system 330 may access the data structure based on determining that the age of the product has increased from 210 days to 240 days, and may increase the discount of the original price of the product from 19% to 21%, which is the data structure can be calculated by The pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign the new price to the product identifier, and may send a request to the user device 320 to list the product for sale at the new price. In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may automatically send a notification to a web server (eg, external front end system 103 ) to list a product for sale at a new price.

Based on the determination that the product is not a returned product from the customer, the pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign a determination that the product is not a returned product to the product identifier. The pricing system 330 may determine a new price for the product based on the calculated inventory percentage, where the new price is a discount of the original price. Pricing system 330 may determine the age of a product by determining how long the product is in FC 200 . For example, if a product arrives at FC 200 on April 1 and today's date is April 11, the age of the product is 10 days.

In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may refer to product identifiers stored in database 336 to identify and access multidimensional data structures. In some embodiments, the multidimensional data structure may be the same data structure accessed for returned products. In some embodiments, different multidimensional data structures may be accessed for returned and non-returned products. In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may use different accessor methods based on the type of product (eg, returned, non-returned, etc.). For example, the data structure may calculate an inventory percentage associated with a product. In some embodiments, the data structure may determine the amount of inventory available in all FCs at the national level, and calculate the average daily sales (eg, average daily sales) over a period (eg, age of product). can In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an inventory percentage associated with a product by dividing the available inventory quantity by the average daily sales volume.

For example, the data structure may provide quick access to a relationship between a calculated inventory percentage and a product's age, based on historical data for a product or related product. Historical data may include previous sales of the product or related products, the percentage of previous inventory of the product, the price or discount at which the product was sold, and the percentage of inventory associated with the product for that sale. In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the product's inventory percentage and the product's age. The pricing system 330 may access the data structure according to the product identifier and determine a new price for the product based on the optimal discount calculated by the data structure. The optimal discount may be the discount on the product for which the product is most likely to be sold to the customer. In some embodiments, the optimal discount may vary depending on the seasonality of the product or the number of product web page views. Pricing system 330 may modify database 336 to assign product identifiers, inventory percentages, and new prices.

In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may periodically determine the age of unsold products. For example, the pricing system 330 may determine that the age of the product has increased with an increase in time. In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the product's inventory percentage and the increased age of the product. Based on the increment of the product identifier and the determined time, the pricing system 330 accesses the data structure to determine an optimal discount calculated by the data structure and increment the discount of the original price of the product based on the calculated optimal discount. can For example, the pricing system 330 may determine that the age of a product with an inventory ratio of 240 days has increased from 210 days to 240 days. The pricing system 330 may access the data structure based on the determination that the age of the product has increased from 210 days to 240 days and may increase the discount of the original price of the product from 9% to 10%, which is determined by the data structure can be calculated. The pricing system 330 may send a request to the user device 320 to list the product for sale at the new price. In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may automatically send a notification to a web server (eg, external front end system 103 ) to list a product for sale at a new price.

In some embodiments, based on the determination that the discount is less than a certain percentage of the original price and the determination that the new price is less than the predetermined minimum price, the pricing system 330 may use a database ( 336) can be modified. For example, if the pricing system 330 determines that the discount is less than 10%, the minimum discount applied to the original price is 50,000 won.

In some embodiments, based on determining that the discount exceeds a certain percentage of the original price and determining that the new price exceeds a predetermined maximum price, the pricing system 330 is configured to assign the predetermined maximum price to the product identifier. Database 336 may be modified. For example, if pricing system 330 determines that the discount is greater than 10%, then the maximum discount applied to the original price is $100,000.

In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may determine that no sale of the product has occurred for a period of time, and based on the determination, pricing system 330 may increase the discount of the original price. Pricing system 330 may modify database 336 to assign an updated price to a product identifier, where the updated price is an increased discount applied to the original price. For example, the pricing system 330 may determine that no sales of the product have occurred in the past 360 days. Based on this determination, the pricing system 330 accesses the data structure, increases the discount of the original price from 18% to 20%, and assigns the updated price to the product identifier based on the calculation by the data structure. Database 336 may be modified.

In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may periodically determine whether a discount should be applied to the product and, if so, the value of the discount. For example, the pricing system 330 may access a data structure that may calculate a discount for a product on the first business day of each week. In some embodiments, the pricing system 330 may apply a discount to a product based on the category of the product. For example, the pricing system 330 may determine that the product belongs to the “book” category, access the data structure, and determine that no discount should be applied to the product.

Referring to FIG. 4 , shown is an exemplary multidimensional data structure 400 that can access the relationship between the state of the product and the age of the product. As shown in FIG. 4 , the data structure 400 may calculate a discount rate according to the relationship between the age 401 of the product and the status 403 of the product. The relationship between the condition of the product and the age of the product may be based on the product or historical data of the related product based on the product identifier associated with the product. Historical data may include previous sales of the product or related products, the previous status of the product, the price or discount at which the product was sold, and status associated with the product for that sale. For example, data structure 400 can quickly access a relationship between a product's status 403 and a product's age 401 based on historical data of a product or related product based on a product identifier. In some embodiments, data structure 400 may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the product's status 403 and the product's age 401 . The pricing system 330 may access the data structure 400 according to the product identifier and determine a new price for the product based on the optimal discount calculated by the data structure 400 . The optimal discount may be the discount on the product for which the product is most likely to be sold to the customer. In some embodiments, the optimal discount may vary depending on the seasonality of the product or the number of product web page views.

The pricing system 330 may determine the age 401 of the product by determining how long the product is in the FC 200 . For example, if a product arrives at the FC 200 on April 1, and today's date is April 11, the age of the product is 10 days.

The pricing system 330 can determine the status 403 of the product based on the product identifier associated with the product. For example, a "return" status assigned to a product may include the status of the product. For example, the status of the returned product may be determined at the return center before it is shipped to the FC 200 (eg, by an internal user, by the system of the system 100, etc.). Condition can be either Repackaged, Damaged Package, Refurbished, Best Used, Brand Used, or General Used. A repackaged condition may indicate that the quality or performance of the product is the same as that of a new product, or that only the packaging (eg, box) should be replaced. A package damaged condition may indicate that the product is of the same quality or performance as new, or that the packaging is damaged but unopened. Refurbished condition may indicate that the product has been used but has been repaired by the manufacturer or supplier to increase the quality or performance of the product without problems or missing components. Best Used Condition may indicate that the product has been used but is of high quality or performance (eg, like new) without problems or missing elements of construction. Refurbished condition may indicate that the product has been used, but only shows signs of previous product use and that there are no problems with product performance or missing components. The general secondhand condition may indicate that the product has been used and there is a feeling of use of the previous product, but there is no problem with the product's performance.

The pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign the product identifier the age 401 of the product and the status 403 of the product. The pricing system 330 may determine a new price for the product based on the age 401 of the product and the condition 403 of the product, where the new price is a discount of the original price. For example, the pricing system 330 may determine that the age 401 of the product is 120 days and the status 403 of the product is refurbished. Pricing system 330 may reference the product identifier stored in database 336 to identify and access data structure 400 . The data structure 400 can calculate an optimal discount 405 of 13% of the original price of the product by accessing the relationship between the age 401 of the product and the status 403 of the product. The pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign the new price to the product identifier, and send a request to the user device 320 to list the product for sale at the new price. In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may automatically send a notification to a web server (eg, external front end system 103 ) to list a product for sale at a new price.

4 shows an exemplary data structure 400 of a relationship between a product's age 401 and a product's status 403 , the embodiment of FIG. 4 is not limited to this particular data structure or particular relationship, and other It may also have data structures or relationships.

Referring to FIG. 5 , illustrated is an exemplary multidimensional data structure 500 that can access the relationship between a product's inventory percentage and the product's age. As shown in FIG. 5 , the data structure 500 may calculate a discount rate according to the relationship between the age 501 of the product and the inventory ratio 503 of the product. The relationship between the inventory percentage of a product and the age of the product may be based on a product based on a product identifier associated with the product or on historical data of the related product. Historical data may include previous sales of the product or related products, the percentage of previous inventory of the product, the price or discount at which the product was sold, the percentage of inventory associated with the product for that sale, and the like. For example, data structure 500 may calculate an inventory percentage associated with a product. In some embodiments, data structure 500 determines the amount of inventory available in all FCs at a national level, and average daily sales (eg, average daily sales quantity) over a period (eg, age of product). ) can be calculated. In some embodiments, data structure 500 may calculate an inventory percentage associated with a product by dividing the available inventory quantity by the average daily sales volume. For example, data structure 500 can quickly access a relationship between a product's calculated inventory percentage 503 and a product's age 501 based on historical data of a product or related product based on a product identifier. . In some embodiments, data structure 500 may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the product's inventory percentage 503 and the product's age 501 . Pricing system 330 may access data structure 500 according to the product identifier and determine a new price for the product based on the optimal discount calculated by data structure 500 . The optimal discount may be the discount on the product for which the product is most likely to be sold to the customer. In some embodiments, the optimal discount may vary depending on the seasonality of the product or the number of product web page views.

The pricing system 330 may determine the age 501 of the product by determining how long the product is in the FC 200 . For example, if a product arrives at the FC 200 on April 1, and today's date is April 11, the age of the product is 10 days.

The pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign the product identifier the age 501 of the product and the inventory percentage 503 of the product. The pricing system 330 may determine a new price for the product based on the product's age 501 and an inventory ratio 503 of the product, where the new price is a discount of the original price. For example, the pricing system 330 may determine that the product's age 501 is 120 days, and the data structure 500 may calculate an inventory ratio 503 of the product 180 days. The pricing system 330 may reference the product identifier stored in the database 336 to identify and access the data structure 500 . The data structure 500 may calculate an optimal discount 505 of 5% of the original price of the product by accessing the relationship between the product's age 501 and the stock ratio 503 of the product. The pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign the new price to the product identifier, and send a request to the user device 320 to list the product for sale at the new price. In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may automatically send a notification to a web server (eg, external front end system 103 ) to list a product for sale at a new price.

In some embodiments, the discount criterion for the relationship between the age 501 of the product and the inventory ratio 503 of the product may vary depending on the state of the product. In some embodiments, data structure 500 may use different accessor methods to calculate discounts based on different criteria. For example, discount criterion 507 may reflect the relationship between age 501 and inventory ratio 503 for retail products, and criterion 509 may reflect age 501 and inventory ratio for globally sourced products. (503) can reflect the relationship between In some embodiments, retail products and global sourcing products may be purchased, operated, or managed by a vendor (eg, a vendor associated with or owning the FC 200 ). In some embodiments, retail products may be purchased domestically, while global sourcing products may be purchased internationally (eg, purchased from a foreign supplier). Retail products and global sourcing products may be distinguished by an indication (eg, product identification information). In some embodiments, data structure 500 may use different accessor methods to calculate discounts for retail products because purchase orders and lead times are longer than for regular products. Similarly, in some embodiments, data structure 500 may use different accessor methods to calculate discounts for globally sourced products that are purchased in bulk, which may result in a longer time to sell a product than a generic product. may be needed Discount criteria may vary depending on lead times, bulk purchases, warehouse arrangements, etc.

5 depicts an exemplary data structure 500 of a relationship between a product's age 501 and a product's inventory percentage 503, the embodiment of FIG. 5 is not limited to this particular data structure or particular relationship; It can also have other data structures or relationships.

Referring to FIG. 6 , illustrated is a process 600 for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics. Although in some embodiments the pricing system 330 may perform the various steps described herein, other implementations are also possible. For example, any system and component (eg, system 100 ) described and illustrated herein may perform the steps described in this disclosure.

At step 601 , user device 320 scans an indication (eg, barcode, image, text string, RFID tag, etc.) of a product (eg, item 202A or item 202B of FIG. 2 ). can The user device 320 may send a request to the pricing system 330 to assign a product price to the product, where the request includes a product identifier associated with the product.

In step 603 , the pricing system 330 may receive the request, and based on the received product identifier, the pricing system 330 retrieves the original price of the product from the database 336 and retrieves the original price of the product. can be identified. The pricing system 330 may retrieve the original price of the product from the database 336 . The original price of the product may be the original price at which the product is listed for sale. For example, the original price of a returned product may be the price at which the customer (the person who returned the product) purchased the product. In some embodiments, the original price of a non-returned product may be the original price at which the product was listed for sale.

In step 605 , the pricing system 330 may determine, based on the product identifier, whether the product is a product returned from the customer. For example, a return center may receive a returned product from a customer and evaluate the condition of the product. The return center may determine that the status of the product is high enough to be resold, and may assign a "returned" status to the product based on that determination. The return center may be part of the system 100 or may be separate from the system 100 . The pricing system 330 may send a request for a status associated with the product identifier to the return center, which may send the status associated with the product identifier to the FC 200 or system 300 .

In step 607A, based on the determination that the product is a returned product from the customer, the pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign a determination that the product is a returned product to the product identifier. The pricing system 330 is a user device associated with the return center or a user (eg, an inventory worker) associated with the FC 200 to pick up the returned product from the return center and ship the returned product to the FC 200 . You can send a pickup request to

The pricing system 330 may determine the status of the product based on the product identifier. For example, a "return" status assigned to a product may include the status of the product. For example, the status of the returned product may be determined at the return center before it is shipped to the FC 200 (eg, by an internal user, by the system of the system 100, etc.). Condition can be either Repackaged, Damaged Package, Refurbished, Best Used, Brand Used, or General Used. A repackaged condition may indicate that the quality or performance of the product is the same as that of a new product, or that only the packaging (eg, box) should be replaced. A package damaged condition may indicate that the product is of the same quality or performance as new, or that the packaging is damaged but unopened. Refurbished condition may indicate that the product has been used but has been repaired by the manufacturer or supplier to increase the quality or performance of the product without problems or missing components. Best Used Condition may indicate that the product has been used but is of high quality or performance (eg, like new) without problems or missing elements of construction. Refurbished condition may indicate that the product has been used, but only shows signs of previous product use and that there are no problems with product performance or missing components. The general secondhand condition may indicate that the product has been used and there is a feeling of use of the previous product, but there is no problem with the product's performance.

Pricing system 330 may modify database 336 to assign a product identifier to the product's status and age of the product. The pricing system 330 may determine a new price for the product based on the condition of the product and the age of the product, where the new price is a discount of the original price. Pricing system 330 may determine the age of a product by determining the status of the product and then determining how long the product is in FC 200 . For example, if the product arrives at the FC 200 after the pricing system 330 determines the status of the product on April 1 and today's date is April 11, the age of the product is 10 days. For example, pricing system 330 may consult a product identifier stored in database 336 to identify and access a multidimensional data structure. In some embodiments, the pricing system 330 may use different accessor methods based on the type of product (eg, returned, non-returned, etc.). For example, the data structure may provide quick access to a relationship between a product's status and a product's age based on historical data of a product or related products based on a product identifier. Historical data may include previous sales of the product or related products, the previous status of the product, the price or discount at which the product was sold, and status associated with the product for that sale. In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the condition of the product and the age of the product. The pricing system 330 may access a data structure according to the product identifier and determine a new price for the product based on the optimal discount calculated by the data structure. The optimal discount may be the discount on the product for which the product is most likely to be sold to the customer. In some embodiments, the optimal discount may vary depending on the seasonality of the product or the number of product web page views.

The pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign the new price to the product identifier, and in step 609 may send a request to the user device 320 to list the product for sale at the new price. . In some embodiments, at step 607 , pricing system 330 may automatically send a notification to a web server (eg, external front end system 103 ) to list products for sale at a new price.

At step 607B, based on the determination that the product is not a returned product from the customer, the pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign a determination that the product is not a returned product to the product identifier.

The pricing system 330 may determine a new price for the product based on the calculated inventory percentage, where the new price is a discount of the original price. Pricing system 330 may determine the age of a product by determining how long the product is in FC 200 .

In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may reference product identifiers stored in database 336 to identify and access multidimensional data structures. In some embodiments, the multidimensional data structure may be the same data structure accessed for returned products. In some embodiments, different multidimensional data structures may be accessed for returned and non-returned products. In some embodiments, pricing system 330 may use different accessor methods based on the type of product (eg, returned, non-returned, etc.). For example, the data structure may calculate an inventory percentage associated with a product. In some embodiments, the data structure may determine the amount of inventory available in all FCs at the national level, and calculate the average daily sales (eg, average daily sales) over a period (eg, age of product). can In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an inventory percentage associated with a product by dividing the available inventory quantity by the average daily sales volume.

For example, the data structure may provide quick access to a relationship between a calculated inventory percentage and a product's age, based on historical data for a product or related product. Historical data may include previous sales of the product or related products, the percentage of previous inventory of the product, the price or discount at which the product was sold, and the percentage of inventory associated with the product for that sale. In some embodiments, the data structure may calculate an optimal discount for a product by accessing the relationship between the product's inventory percentage and the product's age. The pricing system 330 may access the data structure according to the product identifier and determine a new price for the product based on the optimal discount calculated by the data structure. The optimal discount may be the discount on the product for which the product is most likely to be sold to the customer. In some embodiments, the optimal discount may vary depending on the seasonality of the product or the number of product web page views.

The pricing system 330 may modify the database 336 to assign a product identifier, an inventory percentage, and a new price, and in step 609 send a request to the user device 320 to list a product for sale at the new price. can be sent to In some embodiments, at step 609 , pricing system 330 may automatically send a notification to a web server (eg, external front end system 103 ) to list a product for sale at a new price.

While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent that the present disclosure may be practiced in other environments without modification. The foregoing description has been provided for purposes of illustration. It is not exhaustive and is not limited to the precise form or embodiment disclosed. Modifications and adaptations will become apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the description and practice of the disclosed embodiments. Additionally, although aspects of the disclosed embodiments have been described as being stored in memory, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such aspects also may be applied to secondary storage devices (eg, hard disks or CD ROMs, other forms of RAM or ROM, USB media, DVDs). , Blu-ray or other optical drive media).

A computer program based on the described description and disclosed methods is within the skill of the skilled developer. Various programs or program modules may be created using any technique known to those skilled in the art, and may be designed in relation to existing software. For example, a program section or program module can contain .Net Framework, .Net Compact Framework (and related languages such as Visual Basic, C, etc.), Java, C++, Objective-C, HTML, HTML/AJAX combination, XML or Java Applets can be designed with or by embedded HTML.

In addition, although exemplary embodiments have been described herein, any and all with equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (eg, of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations, and/or substitutions. The scope of all embodiments will be understood by those skilled in the art based on the present disclosure. The limitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language used in the claims, and are not limited to the examples set forth herein or during the course of the present application. Examples should be construed as non-exclusive. In addition, the steps of the disclosed methods may be modified in any way, including rearrangement of steps and/or insertion or deletion of steps. Accordingly, the detailed description and examples are to be considered by way of example only, and the true scope and spirit are intended to be indicated by the full scope of the following claims and equivalents.

Claims (20)

A computer-implemented system for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics, comprising:
one or more memory devices to store instructions; and
one or more processors configured to perform said instructions to perform an operation comprising:
The action is
scan the indication of the product via the user device associated with the fulfillment center;
send, via the user device, a request to assign a product price for the product, the request including a product identifier associated with the product;
retrieving the original price of the product in a database based on the product identifier and identifying the original price of the product;
retrieving the original price of the product from the database;
determine whether the product is a product returned from the customer based on the product identifier;
Based on the determination that said product is a returned product from the customer:
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the determination that the product is a returned product;
determine the condition of the product;
determining the age of the product;
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the status of the product and the age of the product;
determine a new price for the product based on the condition of the product and the age of the product, the new price being a discount of the original price; and,
modify the database to assign the new price to the product identifier;
Based on the determination that said product is not a returned product from the customer:
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the determination that the product is not a returned product;
calculate an inventory percentage associated with the product;
determine a new price for the product based on the calculated inventory percentage, the new price being a discount of the original price; and,
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the inventory percentage and the new price;
and sending a request to the user device to list the product for sale at the new price. The method according to claim 1,
If the product is a product returned from a customer, determining the age of the product is
and determining how long the product is in the fulfillment center after determining the status of the product. The method according to claim 1,
If the product is a product returned from a customer, determining the condition of the product is
and determining whether the product is one of repackaged, damaged package, refurbished, used best, used good, or used normal. The method according to claim 1,
If the product is a product returned from the customer, the operation is
Referencing the product identifier stored in the database (consulting),
identify a relationship between the condition of the product and the age of the product based on the product identifier;
determine whether the age of the product has increased based on the identified relationship; and,
and increasing the discount of the original price of the product based on the identified relationship and the determination that the age of the product has increased. The method according to claim 1,
If the product is not a returned product from the customer, determining the age of the product is:
and determining how long the product is in the fulfillment center. The method according to claim 1,
If the product is not a product returned from the customer, the operation is
refer to the product identifier stored in the database;
based on the product identifier, identify a relationship between the calculated inventory ratio of the product and the age of the product;
determine whether the age of the product has increased based on the identified relationship; and,
and increasing the discount of the original price of the product based on the identified relationship and the determination that the age of the product has increased. The method according to claim 1,
Calculating the inventory percentage associated with the product is:
determine the quantity of stock available at the national fulfillment centers;
calculate average daily sales for the period of age; and,
and dividing the quantity of available inventory by the average daily sales volume. The method according to claim 1,
the action is
determine that the discount is less than a percentage of the original price; and,
and based on a determination that the new price is lower than a predetermined minimum price, modifying the database to assign the predetermined minimum price to the product identifier. The method according to claim 1,
the action is
determine that the discount is greater than a percentage of the original price; and,
and based on a determination that the new price is greater than a predetermined maximum price, modifying the database to assign the predetermined maximum price to the product identifier. The method according to claim 1,
the action is
determine that no sales of the product have occurred for a period of time;
increase the discount of the original price based on the determination that no sale of the product has occurred during the predetermined period; and,
and modifying the database to assign an updated price to the product identifier, wherein the updated price is the increased discount of the original price. A computer-implemented method for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics, comprising:
The method is
scan the indication of the product via the user device associated with the fulfillment center;
send, via the user device, a request to assign a product price for the product, the request including a product identifier associated with the product;
retrieving the original price of the product in a database based on the product identifier and identifying the original price of the product;
retrieve the original price of the product from the database;
determine whether the product is a product returned from the customer based on the product identifier;
Based on the determination that said product is a returned product from the customer:
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the determination that the product is a returned product;
determine the condition of the product;
determining the age of the product;
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the status of the product and the age of the product;
determine a new price for the product based on the condition of the product and the age of the product, the new price being a discount of the original price; and,
modify the database to assign the new price to the product identifier;
Based on the determination that said product is not a returned product from the customer:
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the determination that the product is not a returned product;
calculate an inventory percentage associated with the product;
determine a new price for the product based on the calculated inventory percentage, the new price being a discount of the original price; and,
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the inventory percentage and the new price;
and sending a request to the user device to list the product for sale at the new price. 12. The method of claim 11,
If the product is a product returned from a customer, determining the age of the product is
and determining how long the product is in the fulfillment center after determining the status of the product. 12. The method of claim 11,
If the product is a product returned from a customer, determining the condition of the product is
and determining whether the product is one of repackaged, damaged package, refurbished, best thrift, brand thrift, or general thrift. 12. The method of claim 11,
If the product is not a returned product from the customer, determining the age of the product is:
and determining how long the product is in the fulfillment center. 12. The method of claim 11,
If the said product is not a product returned by the customer,
refer to the product identifier stored in the database;
based on the product identifier, identify a relationship between the calculated inventory ratio of the product and the age of the product;
determine whether the age of the product has increased based on the identified relationship; and,
and increasing the discount of the original price of the product based on the identified relationship and the determination that the age of the product has increased. 12. The method of claim 11,
Calculating the inventory percentage associated with the product is:
determine the quantity of inventory available at national fulfillment centers;
calculate average daily sales for the period of age; and,
and dividing the quantity of available inventory by the average daily sales volume. 12. The method of claim 11,
determine that the discount is less than a percentage of the original price; and,
based on a determination that the new price is lower than a predetermined minimum price, modifying the database to assign the predetermined minimum price to the product identifier. 12. The method of claim 11,
determine that the discount is greater than a percentage of the original price; and,
and based on a determination that the new price is greater than a predetermined maximum price, modifying the database to assign the predetermined maximum price to the product identifier. 12. The method of claim 11,
determine that no sales of the product have occurred for a period of time;
increase the discount of the original price based on the determination that no sale of the product has occurred during the predetermined period; and,
and modifying the database to assign an updated price to the product identifier, wherein the updated price is the increased discount of the original price. A computer-implemented system for managing inventory with product pricing based on product characteristics, comprising:
one or more memory devices to store instructions; and
one or more processors configured to perform said instructions to perform an operation comprising:
The action is
scan the indication of the product via the user device associated with the fulfillment center;
send, via the user device, a request to assign a product price for the product, the request including a product identifier associated with the product;
retrieving the original price of the product in a database based on the product identifier and identifying the original price of the product;
retrieve the original price of the product from the database;
determine whether the product is a product returned from the customer based on the product identifier;
Based on the determination that said product is a returned product from the customer:
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the determination that the product is a returned product;
sending a pickup request to a user device associated with an inventory worker to pick up the returned product at a return center and ship the returned product to the fulfillment center;
determine the condition of the product;
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the status of the product and the age of the product;
determine a new price for the product based on the condition of the product and the age of the product, the new price being a discount of the original price; and,
modify the database to assign the new price to the product identifier;
Based on the determination that said product is not a returned product from the customer:
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the determination that the product is not a returned product;
calculate an inventory percentage associated with the product;
determine a new price for the product based on the calculated inventory percentage, the new price being a discount of the original price; and,
modify the database to assign to the product identifier the inventory percentage and the new price;
and sending a request to the user device to list the product for sale at the new price.

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